Old Town, Maine (September 28, 2016)
Old Town Canoes & Kayaks is proud to announce that the ICAST 2016 award-winning Old Town Predator PDL is now shipping, bringing anglers no-fail forward and reverse for unrivaled hands-free boat control and fishability.
“We’re proud to report that we’re delivering the Predator PDL to dealers across the country,” said David Hadden, Brand Director for Johnson Outdoors Watercraft. “Actually, as you read this, many dealers have received Predator PDLs and are already reporting a very high level of customer enthusiasm.”
The reason for all the hype? For starters, Old Town has taken boat control to new heights with forward and reverse via an efficient and easy-to-use propriety pedal-drive system.
“We wanted to create the best pedal fishing experience on the planet, complete with forward and reverse. To that end, our R&D spent three years creating the most durable, dependable, fastest, quietest, and intuitive pedal-driven mechanism in the industry, as well as the perfect hull and boat design to go with it. The end result offers superior maneuverability in wind, current, and around structure. It really fishes like no other.”
Predator PDL Lifestyle Image One of the key differences between the Old Town Predator PDL and other pedal-driven kayaks on the market stems from engineering rooted in proven lifecycle technologies. What’s the adage? Like riding bike? While some pedal-driven kayaks rely on other physical motions, the Old Town PDL pedals exactly like a bicycle, converting modest pedaling into maximum propulsion. A 10.3:1 gear ratio means that anglers can reach speeds up to 5.5 mph to reach fishing spots fast and efficiently. It also makes trolling through a range of user-adjustable speeds easy and effective.
The PDL Drive itself is easy to carry, operate and stow—and a proprietary weedless prop design creates the perfect combination of efficiency, speed, and torque. Additionally, Old Town’s PDL Drive allows smooth forward and reverse and a small turn radius allow for the ultimate in boat control via one-handed rudder control on the boat itself.
“We also knew the system had to dock, deploy and stow quickly and easily, run in shallow water, but also pivot up quickly for navigating underwater obstacles. That was another considerable engineering hurdle,” said Hadden.
What Old Town engineers designed is a compact, lightweight and rugged machine, with 16” of draft for navigating skinny waters, and a unique pivot and docking system that allows users to go from parked to peddling (or vice versa) in seconds. This also means anglers can avoid obstacles almost instantaneously and beach the boat virtually anywhere. A mere 21 lbs., the PDL Drive console is easy to transport; it even floats. Padded pedals allow for bare-footed comfort, and a carry handle makes for easy transport.
Predator PDL specifications
Length: 13’ 2”
Width: 36″
Weight: 117 lbs. (Pedal Drive: 21 lbs.)
Carrying Capacity: 500 lbs
Predator PDL MSRP $2,799.99
Forward and reverse for exact boat control in wind and current
Smooth, quiet and easy to pedal
Removable PDL Drive installs in seconds and tips up instantly for shallow-water docking
Fast and maneuverable, with one-hand-operated rudder steering
Specially-designed hull with generous width for stability and storage
Includes accessory mounting plates, Element Seating System and other standard Predator features
Ease of transport
Low maintenance
Like other Predator models, the Predator PDL is infinitely customizable with rigging accessories from Cannon®, Scotty™, YakAttack®, RAM®, and more.
This year marks Old Town’s second “Best of Show – Boats” win, the last in 2014 when the Maine, USA-based company introduced the ground-breaking Predator XL Minn Kota, an “Ultimate Fishing Machine” powered by by 45 lbs. of stealth-quiet saltwater-grade power.